Tag Archives: SHOT Show

Primary Weapons Systems released multiple new product lines and updates at SHOT Show last month.

Starting with the MOD 1-M line (replacing the MK1 MOD 1-P line) with M-LOK handguards and Radian Raptor charging handles. Keeping the internals the same, the MK1 MOD 1-M line got a simple facelift. To match that, the MK2 MOD 1-M line also got M-LOK handguards and Radian Raptor charging handles.

Past the more expected updates, we take a look at the MK1 MOD 2-M line which replaces the MK1 MOD 2 line. The MK1 MOD 2-M line features not just an M-LOK handguard, but their patent pending PicLok handguard. Yes, it offers M-LOK along the entire length of the handguard, but also offers Picatinny in the front quarter of the rail. What sets the PWS MK1 MOD 2-M handguards apart, is the fact that M-LOK accessories direct thread into the handguard, meaning you don’t use the back T-nut of the accessory. This allows the shooter’s rail to truly stay as slim as possible while still offering a variety of mounting options. In addition to the PicLok handguard, the MK1 MOD 2-M line includes the Radian Raptor charging handle and Radian Talon safety selector.

For PWS customers wanting to do a quick handguard swap, we have good news! Handguards will be available as standalone items, so you can easily swap your current PicMod to PicLok.

The ALPHA line of rifles, easily differentiated by the FDE anodizing, was designed specifically for military use, but will be available for civilians. A few features of the ALPHA line are the heavier barrel profile, 1:7 barrel twist rate and gas adjustment knob in front of the handguard.

The last big release from PWS was the new PCC line in 9mm. Using a straight blowback system, taking GLOCK mags and having last round bolt hold open, PWS expects the PCC line to be a popular addition to their current offerings.

The PWS website is currently being rebuilt, but will be live by mid-February. In the meantime, customers can contact sales@primaryweapons.com for questions and purchasing.

I first learned of Moral Patches when I was in Iraq in 2004. The patches were usually cheesy and poorly made, but they have come a long way. Morale patches and the firearms/tactical industry have become almost synonymous. Patches typically come in either of the embroidered variety or of the PVC variety, though some patch makers have expanded the medium to include leather and even glass and almost all Velcro backed. Each medium have their appeal and each offers their own unique qualities and downfalls. Preference is usually based on an individuals personal taste and style. Some individual collections are small and some are astronomical.

Patch Collection and Photo Credit: Tom Stoughton

SHOT Show is not immune to a vast variety of morale patch collections and many patches are only offered during the show by either manufacturers or enthusiasts. Throughout the show I will attempt to collect as many different patches available and post them here for all to see. At the end of each day, this post will be updated with the days take, so check back for an updated list. The patches will not be in any specific order and I will try my best to include who the patch came from and a link to their site.

Let everyone know what your favorite patch of the 2018 SHOT Show is by commenting on the Facebook post.

I have published a variation of the SHOT Show survival guide in years past and this is an updated version.

With the 40th Anniversary and 2018 SHOT Show just around the corner, there are many people attending for the first time asking what to expect. Though I am by no means an expert in SHOT culture, this will be my 8th year and I have attempted to attack the show in different ways to try to get the most out of a limited amount of time.

Here are a few tips to hopefully get you through and to maintain your sanity and have some fun along the way:

Ok, sure, a pair of camo Crocs may be comfortable, don’t be that guy/gal. Have a little bit of self worth in public.

Wear Comfortable Shoes. You will hear this over and over again from SHOT veterans, and for good reason. With miles and miles of aisles and not so comfortable concrete laden floors only covered by extremely thin outdoor carpeting, your shoes will save or ruin you feet and legs after hours of being on them. You will have to decide between comfort or fashion. Also, try to take breaks, sit down for a few minutes and look for the booths that went the extra mile and purchased double-stuffed layering of carpet padding. (You may not see it at first, but you will definitely notice the moment you step foot in their booth. You may also not want to leave.)

Leave the Rolling Milk Crate Carts at Home. With over 60,000 attendees in past years, the show floor gets a little crowded. Add in everyone toting around those ridiculous milk crates with wheels and it becomes hazardous. Trust me, you will trip over no less than a dozen of these obnoxious things as you either get cut off or when someone leaves it directly behind you when you are at a booth. If you want to haul around brochures, bring along a backpack or something that is off the ground.

If you don’t believe how absolutely annoying these things are, check out this video compilation that my buddy Chris Tran did at SHOT last year. CLICK HERE. And follow him on IG while you are there.

Hydrate or DIE. You are walking a lot at SHOT, plus all of that alcohol you had last night will suck the water right out of you. If you can, stop by a Walgreen’s or somewhere and pick up a 12 pack of water. There is a Walgreen’s on the strip, directly between the Venetian and the Palazzo. The cost of a 12 pack of water will be probably the same as two waters on the SHOT floor. Throw one or two bottles in your backpack, not your rolling milk crate cart, and you’ll be glad you did. You may also want to throw in a Clif Bar or two each day as you may forget to eat or you may not want to spend $9 for a side salad at the cafe on the show floor.

Move with a Purpose. We all know what sheep are. Do not be one that meanders aimlessly through the aisles or stop dead in your tracks while others are trying to move with the flow. Have some knowledge of your surroundings and act accordingly. If you have to stop to figure out where the nearest pit stop is, step to the side and look at your map.

Have a Map. You can find maps just about anywhere. They are on the SHOT Show webpage, on the App, and in the publications you can find everywhere. Know where the booths are or figure it out for yourself. There have been over 1600 booths at the show in years past and add this years addition of the Supplier Showcase, there will be even more acreage to cover. Chances are if you ask any random person where a booth other than the big name companies, they will not know where it is or have the time to give you directions through the maze of aisles to figure it out. Need a map? CLICK HERE.

Have a Plan! Have a plan, but realize that it will not work out 100% unless your only plan is to meander. In years past, I typically made a list of all of the booths that I may have a slight possibility of wanting to stop at. Then I would take this list and break it down into priorities (Must Stop, Should Stop, Kinda Want To Stop). The first day I would bounce between all of the rooms and floors and stop by my “Must Stop” booths. Day’s 2 and 3 consisted of hitting the “Should Stop” and “Kinda Want To Stop) booths. Day 4 was typically reserved for making one last round and tying up loose ends.

This year I will only be at the show from Tue-Thurs with Media Day on Monday, so I will have to attack it a little differently. Most likely I will hit all of the side rooms and walk each aisle until I find a booth I need or want to stop at. These rooms are a little bit easier to take a bite out of than the main floors. Once these side rooms are done, I will find the booths on the main floors that I want to go to. The side rooms are easier to check out in entirety without getting lost.

DAY 4. Though I will not be at the show for Day 4 this year, here is a little bit of advice. Do not try to make Day 4 the day you make all of the stops you need to make and try to do business. The exhibitors are tired and/or hung over (hey, it’s Vegas) from almost a weeks work with little sleep and just want to tear down the booth and go home. You can see it in their faces. They have given the same speech over and over again about their products. This is a good time to make small, short, casual conversations with the exhibitors. Don’t be overly demanding on Day 4.

You will have Competition! With over 60,000 attendees, you may not be as important to the booth exhibitor as you think you are. Do not expect to gather their undivided attention for hours on end while telling them about this one time that you did something cool. Once again, if you have a purpose, get to it and move on.

SWAG. No, not Swag as the annoying term used by today’s youth, but the acronym, “Stuff We All Get”….SWAG. Yes, there is some free promotional items that companies hand out. Some of it is actually pretty cool and some of it is junk. Do not expect to go to SHOT Show and walk away with a whole arsenal of weapons and enough kit to make yourself a full time high-speed low-drag operator. It’s not going to happen. You might get some cool patches and some thumb drives with catalogs on it, but do not come to SHOT for that purpose alone…..and yes, I know of people who do that.

Speaking of Patches. If you have read this guide thus far, try to find me. I will have and will be giving away 100 Limited Edition Patches for free. This will be on an in-person basis and you cannot “pick one up for a friend”. Keep an eye out on the ZERO7ONE Facebook Page for a photo of the pack to look out for during the show.

Lighting SUCKS! For the pre-approved photographers/ videographers and media that are attending that are allowed to photograph booths and the products, sorry Chinese knockoff companies…not you, the lighting sucks. There is a complete mixture of lighting temperatures from tungsten to LED to whatever the flavor of the day was when the company was building the booths. Set your camera to AWB and hope you have a high ISO capability. ISO 1600 is about the minimum you can get away with. You can use a flash if you want, but I just don’t care to get the harsh shadows that it creates. Some booths think of this ahead of time and will have adequate lighting. For this I thank them.

Backgrounds suck too! Do not expect to get magazine cover quality photos during the show. Sometimes you can get lucky and sometimes you only have a casting couch to drop a rifle on to get that perfect angle.

Lights! Camera! Get out of the way! While on the subject of media, if you see a photographer or videographer shooting an image or video footage, don’t get between them and the subject or person being interviewed. When the video has to be retaken, you are wasting the time of the booth staff, which could be time spent talking to you. Just have common courtesy.

Celebrities. Yes, there will be celebrities in attendance. Some appreciate the recognition and will give you the time of day. Some are just plain d-bags. I won’t mention names, but most know who they are. The true celebrities at SHOT are the Military Heroes that are in attendance or guest-starring in a booth. Take a few minutes out of your day and talk to them. They are National Treasures and when they are gone, they are gone. Just don’t be “that guy” that walks up to a Medal of Honor Recipient and ask them how they “won” their medal.

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Sergeant Major Jon Caviani. Sadly, SGM Caviani passed away on July 29, 2014. It was an honor to meet this man, even if for only a few minutes.

Booth Babes. Again, yes, there are some very attractive women who attend SHOT and some who dress in less-than-conservative clothing and some come straight off the strip to help promote a product. Though they probably have some thick skin after doing what they do, treat them with respect. Don’t be the douche canoe who makes himself appear like some serial rapist that should be on a sex offender registry.

Networking. SHOT is a great place to network with others. The after parties are an even better place to network. After a few drinks, you get to really know who someone is and if you would want to work with them in the future. Try to get into one or more of these events if you can.

Don’t Get Sick! Don’t get sick at the show. Even better, don’t come to the show if you are really sick. SHOT Show becomes the Petri Dish of Vegas every year as tens of thousands of people from all across the world emerge into one small place and touch everything you are touching. I’m not a germ-a-phobe, but after how sick I got half way thorough the show last year, I am not taking any chances. Now that I am thinking about it, I’m heading over to Amazon to stock up on some Emergen-C and Hand Sanitizer.

If you are not familiar with TriggrCon, this is how it is described on their website, triggrcon.com: “Triggrcon is a 4 day event in Tacoma, Washington. It will include a range day and industry day open to media and industry attendees and the final 2 days for enthusiasts. Triggrcon will showcase the newest, most innovative companies and products in the tactical firearms industry. The conference will be capped in exhibitors and attendees to maintain an intimate and exclusive environment.

Triggrcon builds on existing relationships while fostering new partnerships. With several leading companies coordinating major product launches for the show for 2017, the buzz created will be epic for the show. Media and industry attendees will experience a coordinated effort of manufacturers not seen at other shows while firearms enthusiasts will have a gateway into a show that normally is only offered to industry professionals.”

Think of TriggrCon as a publicly accessible, no-cost, mini-version of SHOT Show.

Here is a breakdown of some of the events surrounding TriggrCon:

Sig Sauer VR Challenge

Shoot a virtual USPSA stage for a chance to win a Sig P320 RX! Each contestant will have 2 runs and will keep their fastest time. The top 3 times will win big, with the fastest time winning the Sig P320 RX. There will also be random giveaways, provided by Fortis Mfg, to those who participate.

Author’s Network

Come meet NY Times Best Selling Author Scott McEwen and many more amazing authors at Triggrcon’s Author’s Network. These authors will be speaking all throughout the event, as well as, signing books at vendor booths, so be sure to come and listen to these author’s amazing stories!

Click the banner for more information on the VIP Party.

VIP Party, “An Evening with Heroes”

The VIP event will be an intimate gathering of tactical industry leaders, first responders, military VIP’s and VIP ticket holders. The VIP event will include some of the best NW spirits & beverages, amazing food, exciting tactical entertainment, giveaways and a raffle that will benefit our charity The PTSD Foundation. Tickets are $100 and the event will be held on July 29.

Click the link in the banner for more info.

TRIGGRCON Pro Shop

Come check out our Triggrcon Pro Shop where we will be selling products from several different vendors from the show. We will also be offering “show only” specials, so be sure to stop by for some crazy deals.

SOG Knives and Tools has always continued to strive to innovate year after year. 2017 is no different. Continue to read to see what is new for this year.

SOG has reimagined the multi-tool with their new Baton series. The models are named Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. Each in the series is meant to fulfill a different series of tasks, not just add more tools to each. The smallest, the Q1, is just a bit bigger than a permanent marker. In the image below, you can see a variety of what each looks like open, but for a full break down, I recommend clicking on the model name below to check them out on the SOG webpage for full details. Just the opening of these tools are worth checking them out.

As pictured below, there are two new Kiku Models, the Kiku Assisted and Kiku Fixed. All of these knives are designed in collaboration with master blade maker, Kiku Matsuda of Japan. The Kiku Assisted comes with a VG-10 blade in either Black TiNi or Satin Polish and is 3.5″ in length (8.1″ OAL). The handles are made of linen Micarta and have to be held personally to appreciate the texture of these knives. The Kiku Assisted MSRP between $174-$187, depending on blade choice.

The Kiku Fixed is available in a 4″ VG-10 Satin Polish Blade and also comes with a linen Micarta handle. A kydex sheath is also included. The MSRP for the Kiku Fixed is $254.

The below knife, the “Terminus”, is an all-purpouse slipjoint folding knife that is legal in many places. The 3″ CTS BD1 steel blade does not lock, though there is positive pressure to ensure the blade does not inadvertently close. The Terminus is available in Black Oxide ($80) or Satin Polish ($67). This knife features G10 handles and a reversible pocket clip.

If you drop the below Ultra C-Ti knife in your pocket, you may forget it is there. Weighing in at just 1.3oz, the Ultra C-Ti features a VG-10 steel blade and carbon fiber handle with titanium clip, which doubles as a money clip. It is available only with a bead blasted blade and MSRP’s at $134.

I personally know a lot of police officers that have been patiently waiting year after year for the development of a quality Level III Retention Holster that will accept the RMR. The wait appears to be over.

Welcome to the model 6364-6360-MOS, at least that is that model that I was given. The MSRP that I was given seemed very low for this model, especially when you compare it to the same holster without the RMR capability, so for now, I will list the MSRP as “TBD”.

Per Safariland, the only model of holster that will be available with the RMR in a Level III configuration will also be a light bearing holster. If you opt for no light capability, you will be left with a Level II capable holster.

Safariland advised that this holster should be available within 30-60 days as of SHOT Show.

Steiner Optics had a lot to offer this year, especially for the Military and Law Enforcement crowd.

First, Steiner is offering the R1X Red Dot Tactical Series of Optic.

The R1X Optic, which MSRP’S around $630, features a 1x magnification, choice of a single or 3-dot stadia reticle, low profile for co-witness capability, 7 levels of illumination (2x night vision / 5x daylight), available with standard and QD mounts, is parallax free and is waterproof, fogproof and shockproof. The R1X is 2″Hx3.1″L and weighs in at 19.4oz.

Steiner Optics has updated the M332 and the M536 Battle Sights with a QD Mount.

Pictured above, the M332 prism sight offers a 3x fixed magnification with a 32mm objective lens and features multi-coated lenses, an illuminated ballistic reticle and is waterproof. The M332 MSRP’s around $675.

Pictured above, the M536 prism sight offers a 5x fixed magnification with a 36mm objective lens and features multi-coated lenses, an illuminated ballistic reticle and is waterproof. The M536 MSRP’s around $750.

P3TR Reticle

Designed for Patrol and Tactical Operations, Steiner has introduced the P4Xi scope. The P4Xi features a 1-4x variable zoom with a 24mm objective lens, a 30mm tube and the new P3TR illuminated reticle for fast target acquisition.

Accu-Tac Firearms Accessories has come out with a new bipod for the 2017 SHOT Show. With a name “F5” floating around, this bipod uses the same legs as the SR-5 bipod, but is designed to be used with “F-Class” rifles.

The “F5” (name is not yet official) offers a QD mount and 25-degrees of panning to the left and right while utilizing a wide base for support. The Tension/Lock Lever on the bottom allows the user to loosen or lock out the panning feature.

Quarter Circle 10 has introduced the new QC-5 series in both full weapon platforms and as receiver sets. The QC-5 is based around the Heckler and Koch MP5 9mm Magazine, though there is mention of a 10mm version possibly in the works as well. The QC-5 offers a non-reciprocating charging handle and will be available in both Pistol and SBR/PDW configurations for purchase.

QC-10 advises that the QC-5 (MP5 pattern) upper and lower receivers are specific to themselves and cannot be interchanged with the Glock Small Frame upper and lower receivers.

QC-10 advised that pricing is “TBD” and the QC-5 should be available around Summer 2017.